Yesterday, the urban-centric House Ways and Means Committee is advancing legislation that will result in the closure of even more rural hospitals, further decimating access to health care and further escalating economic decline in rural communities across the country.

This afternoon, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. At this time, the Senate is still debating and working on their own version of a tax reform package. It is likely that each chamber will pass different tax reform legislation and must go to conference to reconcile the two pieces. Unfortunately, right now, it looks like both bills will be bad for rural America.

The National Rural Health Association is pleased to announce the final selections for its 2018 Rural Health Fellows program.
After the completion of a competitive review process, 17 fellows were selected to participate in this yearlong, intensive program aimed at developing leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America.

While only 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas, a disproportionate number of rural communities are struggling with prescription opioids and heroin abuse. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rural Americans are more vulnerable to prescription painkiller abuse and overdoses, and the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in nonmetro counties is 45 percent higher than in metro counties.

Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work, which is why nearly 62 million people – nearly one in five Americans – call rural home.
This Thursday, November 16th, we celebrate National Rural Health Day, a date set aside to honor the selfless, community-minded, ‘can do’ spirit that prevails in rural America.
Across the US, several national organizations and local community groups will celebrate this special day in multiple ways.

Tax-exempt financing is facing the most hostile challenge to its existence since the 1986 revisions to the Tax Code. Tax-exempt financing is being threatened in the House of Representatives tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Non-profit hospitals depend on tax exempt private-activity bonds (PABs) as a financing tool.

This Veterans Day, we remember and honor those rural veterans who have served our nation. More than a quarter of the country's veterans live in rural communities and a disproportionate number of those serving in the military hail from rural communities.